Dental Restoration: Types and Preparation

Dental restoration is the practice of dentistry that pertains to the reconstruction or restoration of damaged tooth or teeth. The structural loss typically results from caries or external trauma. The dentist's prime objective is to restore these damaged tooth or teeth to their former self (or even better) by use of different methods. According to the dentist burbank, dental restorations can be divided into two broad types: direct restorations and indirect restorations.

* Direct Restoration - This technique involves placing a soft or malleable filling into the prepared tooth and building up the tooth before the material sets hard. The advantage of direct restorations is that they usually set quickly and can be placed by one operator. Since the material is required to set while in contact with the tooth, limited energy can be passed to the tooth from the setting process without damaging it.

* Indirect Restoration - This technique involves fabricating the restoration outside of the mouth using the dental impressions of the prepared tooth. Common indirect restorations include inlays and onlays, crowns, bridges, and veneers. According to the dentist burbank, a dental technician usually fabricates the indirect restoration from records the dentist has provided of the prepared tooth. The finished restoration is usually bonded permanently with a dental cement. It takes two visits to dentist. Common indirect restorations are done using gold or ceramics.

Preparing the tooth

Tooth preparation is usually required before placing a dental restoration. This process involves cutting the tooth, usually with a dental drill, to make space for the planned restoration, remove any dental decay and structurally unsound tooth. According to the dentist burbank, if permanent restoration cannot be carried out after tooth preparation, temporary restoration is done. There are two types of preparations:

* Intracoronal preparations - These are preparations which serve to hold restorative material within the confines of the structure of the crown of a tooth. Examples include all classes of cavity preparations for composite or amalgam, as well as those for gold and porcelain inlays.

* Extracoronal preparations -These are preparations which serve as cores or bases upon which or around which restorative material will be placed to bring the tooth back into a functional or aesthetic structure. Examples include crowns and onlays, as well as veneers.